


Why Did You Leave Me

by regdog



Series: Lost Light Fest 2019 [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 00:43:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20921354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regdog/pseuds/regdog
Summary: Prowl faces Barricade on the battlefield and his emotions and memories off the battlefield





	Why Did You Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

> Years ago I co-wrote a fanfcition where I made Prowl and Barricade brothers. Barricade hated Prowl's tact-net upgrade. I've decided to expand that idea with this year's Lost LightFest. This is Prowl's POV

The glow of blue spark light filtered through the opening chestplates.

“Do it. End the misery that is my life, brother mine.” Prowl reared back, dropping the energon dagger. Missiles and laser blasts exploded around him as he staggered to his pedes, lurching away. 

“Got you, Copbot. Come on,” Sideswipe said, grabbing Prowl’s arm and pulling the tactician behind him. The frontliner backed Prowl towards the Autobot line and shoved him into Trailbreaker’s servos. “Leave the scrapping to me and Sunny.”

With that, Sideswipe charged toward the mech Prowl had been fighting, the Deceptions’ infiltrator, saboteur and one-time interrogator, Barricade. Unfortunately for Sideswipe, Barricade was heading back behind the Decepticon line as Megatron called for the retreat.

Prowl pulled himself from Trailbreaker’s hold. The SIC’s field rolled with rage.

“Sorry, sir,” Trailbreaker muttered stepping away.

“Prowl?” Optimus questioned.

Prowl stalked away without acknowledging either of them. He dropped into vehicle mode and began the drive back to base, not bothering to see if the rest of the Autobots were following.

********************

“Nothing too serious. Windcharger will be on light rotation for about one week to give his knee joint time to heal, but other than that, simple welds and repairs,” Ratchet said, as he finished the final weld to the afore mentioned mech.

“Very well,” Prowl flipped through a datapad, changing the duty roster. “I’ll inform Prime,” he said and left Medbay.

“Pretty fierce on the frontline there today, Copbot,” Sideswipe said, as he and Sunstreaker passed Prowl in the hall.

“My designation is Prowl, Sideswipe. Do not make me tell you this again.” Prowl stopped short.

“Good luck getting him to follow that,” Sunstreaker muttered.

“Brig time for insubordination should do nicely.” Prowl’s doorwings were torque high and tight. 

The Twins said nothing for a long moment. Tiny twitches of their fingers and flaring of their optics telling Prowl they were talking over their bond.

“I have a nice batch of high grade brewing. I’m going to try some new flavor additives,” Sideswiped said casually.

“We’ll listen,” Sunstreaker added and the two continued on their way.

Prowl continued on his, pinging the doorchime when he reached Optimus’ office. The door slid open and Prowl entered, finding Jazz sitting across from Optimus.

“Please have a seat, Prowl,” Optimus motioned to the empty chair.

Prowl nodded and took the appointed chair, his field pulled in tight.

“What is the report from Medical?” Prime asked.

“Windcharger is the most serious and he’s only light duty for one week.”

“We were fortunate. Most fortunate that our SIC and Chief Tactician was not seriously injured, killed or captured when he charged the frontline,” Primes said, his voice thick with disappointment.

Here we go. Prowl thought to himself. Knowing there would be no way to avoid the forthcoming lecture, Prowl didn’t think any explanation would appease Prime. So he didn’t offer one. He remained silent and unmoving.

“It’s not like you, Prowl,” Jazz said, glancing at Optimus, who was still waiting for Prowl to answer. “Prowler. I’ve been in Special Ops longer than I care to think. Mech, I know murderous intent when I see it. It was dripping off your plating.”

That got a reaction. Slowly Prowl turned toward the Autobot’s chief spy. “My designation is Prowl. It is not, has not and never will be Prowler and I am sick of you calling me that.”

“Enough, Prowl,” Optimus said sternly. 

Taking a deep inhale, Prowl exvented slowly. He would have to say something. “I saw a chance to end Soundwave. Without him, there is an 86% likelihood the Decepticons would fall within the decacycle. Unfortunately, Barricade intercepted me. Megatron may be the leader but Soundwave is his cortex, in a manner of speaking.”

“Prime, I need to go. I need to talk with my mechs. I want to know how Barricade arrived and we never knew,” Jazz said, standing. 

“Of course, Jazz. Brief Prowl and myself tomorrow,” Prime said with a nod, as the Special Ops mech left. 

Prowl knew Jazz would have nothing in his upcoming intel brief. Barricade wouldn’t have left any trace, he never did. He was too damn good at what he did.

“Prowl, I understand wanting to end this war, but we can’t lose you in that quest. You are too valuable to the Autobots. I need you to promise me you will remain behind our lines next time you are in the field,” Prime said.

“Understood. If there isn’t anything?”

“No, you’re dismissed.” With that Prowl left and returned to his office. 

He stopped with his fingers hovering above the keypad. Turning he walked in a different direction. Much to his relief he didn’t pass anyone in the halls. This was mainly due to his destination. The Twins had been given quarters away from the rest of the crew due to their numerous and vocal fights, as well as the majority of the crew’s fear of the deadly melee warriors. 

It was an odd symbiotic relationship he had developed with the former gladiators. Where most of the Autobots feared or distrusted the split spark Twins, Prowl had found kindred spirits. The Twins had no need for emotional attachments outside of each other. Prowl neither needed or wanted those attachments with anyone else either. No, that wasn’t entirely that true. There was one and only one mech and that attachment was never to be again.

The Twins reveled in the violence and mayhem of the battlefield. Prowl reveled in the beauty of their savage destruction. To him they made death beautiful. A dance of carnage perfected in the unforgiving Pits of Kaon.

They delighted in Prowl’s cold calculating strategies. The SIC had never come up with a battle plan the Twins didn’t want to be part of or thought to be too vicious.

Maybe because of or in spite of this, the three shared a berth, high grade, each others’ company and most surprisingly, confidences.

Stopping at their door, he knocked. It opened revealing Sunstreaker. The tempting aroma of excellent high grade filled Prowl’s olfactory sensors. Without a word, Sunstreaker stepped aside beckoning Prowl in.

Prowl collapsed on their battered couch, feeling as though he had taken on the entire Decepticon army himself that cycle. A warm cup was pressed into his servos. The sharp tang of cooper and magnesium wafted around him. 

Sideswipe sat next to him, Sunstreaker took his place on the couch across from them. Neither spoke, they just waited as Prowl knew they would. He closed his optic shutters as memories flooded his processor unbidden.

_“NO! Cade, don’t let them take me. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to do this,” Prowl wailed, clinging to his older brother like a space barnacle._

_“You can’t do this. He’s too young. He’s scared. STOP! You fragging afts. Don’t touch him!” Barricade screamed, clutching Prowl so tightly his claws sliced outer armor and pierced the soft protoform underneath, making the younger mech quiver in pain. “You can’t have him.”_

_“Barricade, let go. Let go right now,” their sire barked, as servants tried to loosen the older mechling’s grip._

_“Prowl, you are causing a scene. You know this is for the best. You will be amazing when this is over. Don’t you know what a special chance this is?” their carrier pleaded._

_Fear made Prowl cling tighter. Barricade began kicking, and rolled so he could now wrap his legs around Prowl as well. With a savage ferocity, Barricade bit the servant’s servo, severing a digit completely off_

_The servant screamed in pain, energon spurting from the wound left by his missing digit. Barricade spit the digit at their sire._

_“Let go! Let go! Let go! My Prowl’s scared. Let go!” Barricade yelled, snapping his sharp denta. The servants backed away._

_“ENOUGH!” their sire snapped, grabbing Barricade by his doorwing fairing. The mechling howled and thrashed in pain. Their carrier and servants used this advantage to wrest Prowl away. Energon dripping down the wounds made by Barricade’s claws._

_“Cade,” Prowl yelled as he was carried from the house and hustled into a transport. His brother’s cries of grief and rage ringing in his audials._

_“You’re so lucky to have this chance. You’ll be amazing when this is over,” his carrier kept repeating._

_“Cade thinks I’m amazing now,” Prowl muttered through his sobbing gasps._

_“Your brother will never be anything more than ordinary and he’s barely even that,” their carrier replied._

_“Not true, he’s an aft,” their sire grumbled._

_Prowl kept his helm down, hating his creators. His Barricade was smart, and brave and perfect.___

_ _Slowly Prowl came back to himself, the memory file having played itself out. Scrubbing his servo down his faceplates, he finally spoke the words no Autobot knew. “Barricade is my brother.”  
If the Twins were surprised by the revelation they didn’t show it._ _

_ _“He fought so hard to keep our creators from upgrading me with the tact-net. When I woke up for the surgery he was there. Wouldn’t tell what he went through to get there, but he was dented, scratched, limping and cut up._ _

_ _“As we grew up he was always one step behind me, watching, protecting. When we were Enforcers I never feared an assignment I worked knowing no matter where he was, he was always close by._ _

_ _“Then a gladiator started speaking about change, and I was assigned to the Office and the Prime. I arranged for Barricade to be transferred with me but he joined the gladiator. _ _

_ _“And I lost my brother,” the last sentence was a barely audible whisper._ _

_ _“Do you want him dead?” Sunstreaker asked._ _

_ _“Never,” Prowl answered._ _

_ _“Do you want us to grab him?” Sideswipe asked, swirling his high grade._ _

_ _“You’d only be able to on the battlefield. I trained him with all the Special Ops and tactical knowledge I have.”_ _

_ _“You came close to killing him today,” Sunstreaker said._ _

_ _Prowl broke at those words. Collapsing into a sobbing heap, wailing in grief. Barricade. His Barricade. When had he arrived in Iacon? Prowl had come so terrifyingly close to killing his beloved brother today._ _

_ _Prowl felt the cup being gently lifted from his servos as two warm frames enveloped him. The Twins didn’t try to stop his crying. They let him cry, wail, sob and grieve and held him tight as he did._ _

_ _He cried until his vents hiccupped with exhaustion and he could no longer keep his optic shutters open. He never did know which twin carried him to their berth. All he knew was he was safely nestled between them. Their split sparks pulsing slow and comforting._ _

_ _“We’ll do all we can to keep him alive on the battlefield and grab him if we can,” Sunstreaker said._ _

_ _“Thank you,” Prowl whispered._ _

_ _No matter the betrayal of Barricade joining Megatron. No matter the pain and how many times he told himself he hated his brother, Prowl never could._ _

_ _He loved Barricade as much as he did when they were younglings. As much as he did when Barricade fought to keep his younger brother from being upgraded. As much as when Prowl awoke from surgery and saw a dented energon stained Barricade sitting by his hospital berth. As much as he did when they each became Enforcers._ _

_ _He would never stop loving his brother. He just wanted to know why Barricade had stopped loving him and left him._ _


End file.
